Falling out

The situation between former Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza and the PPP, the party he has been affiliated with for many decades, appears to be becoming more volatile. The situation led to a stand-off on Tuesday in Mirza’s native Badin where police also reportedly cordoned off roads leading to the former minister’s farm house. From here, in a press talk, Mirza called even for the hanging of ex-president Zardari, while his wife, ex-PPP MNA and NA Speaker from Karachi lashed out against the police action against her husband. Mirza was able to obtain protective bail from a court on Monday after storming a police station on Sunday along with supporters. This led to a series of criminal cases being registered against him along with cases on offences under anti-terrorism laws. He is said to be anticipating arrest.
Mirza claims he is victim of a personal power battle led against him by powerful people within the PPP, and led by former president Asif Ali Zardari. The sequence of events is an unusual one. For many years Dr Mirza was seen as one of Zardari’s closest friends and advisers. The falling out between them seems to have begun during the last days of PPP government stint in power with Mirza siding with the People’s Aman Committee as an operation began against gangs in Lyari. The wounds from all this, as well as disagreements over the PPP’s alliances with the MQM, something that Mirza bitterly opposed, appear never to have healed. Mirza has repeatedly attacked Zardari over the past two months while holding up Bilawal Bhutto as a true leader of the party. Mirza is believed to command some support from within PPP cadres but it is unclear how substantial this is. The stance taken by Mirza has shown up the rift developing within the PPP, notably in its stronghold Sindh. In the future this will become extremely relevant. We do not know how the current episode of animosity is to end. Right now Mirza shows no signs of backing down. It is not yet evident if he has others with him, but it is possible he has some base of support notably among youth groups linked to the party. The outcome of what is happening in Badin will be closely watched and could determine what development takes place within the PPP over the coming days as the drama continues to unfold scene by scene. Our best hope is that no violence takes place, the war of words and accusations remains within the larger framework of law and the courts are allowed to determine who is right or wrong.